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Macron calls on allies to commit to "real European army"

The French president has called on European nations to move forward with plans for a “real ...
Newstalk
Newstalk

21.22 6 Nov 2018


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Macron calls on allies to comm...

Macron calls on allies to commit to "real European army"

Newstalk
Newstalk

21.22 6 Nov 2018


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The French president has called on European nations to move forward with plans for a “real European army.”

Defence ministers from nine European countries are due to meet in Paris on Wednesday to begin discussions on how such a force would operate.

Ahead of the meeting, President Emmanuel Macron insisted the force would be needed to defend Europe against threats from “China, Russia and even the United States of America.”

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Pointing to US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of a nuclear arms control treaty with Russia, the French president said Europe could no longer rely on the US for support.

French president Emmanuel Macron pay their respects as part of ceremonies marking the centenary of the First World War, 06-11-2018. Image: Blondet Eliot/ABACA/ABACA/PA Images

"When I see President Trump announcing that he's quitting a major disarmament treaty which was formed after the 1980s Euromissile crisis that hit Europe, who is the main victim?" he said.

“Europe and its security.

“The Cold War Euromissile crisis, which saw the US roll ballistic missiles into Europe, was a major influence on the creation of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

"We will not protect the Europeans unless we decide to have a true European army," Mr Macron said.

He argued that Russia "is at our borders and has shown that it can be a threat."

"We need a Europe which defends itself better alone, without just depending on the United States," he said.

US President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he speaks during a campaign rally, 05-11-2018. Image: Jeff Roberson/AP/Press Association Images

The Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty signed by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev 1987 has kept nuclear missiles out of Europe for three decades.

President Trump has accused Russia of violating the agreement and is pulling the US out as a result.

President Macron has pushed for a joint European Union military force ever since his election in 2017.

The nine-country he envisions would be capable of rapidly mounting a joint military operation, an evacuation from a war zone, or providing aid after a natural disaster.

The EU is set to vastly expand its defence budget from 2021, allocating some €13bn (£11.3bn) over seven years to research and develop new equipment.

This is up from less than €600m (£523m) in the current budget.


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